112 THREE ACRES AND LIBERTY 



the reputation of having the best planned and most com- 

 pletely equipped plant in this part of Washington, and per- 

 haps in the entire state. My stock was thoroughbred and 

 healthy, and they seemed to attend to business strictly. I 

 devoted about all my waking hours to them, did everything 

 that seemed necessary that was suggested by my own suc- 

 cess, and yet I could not make it go, am glad I am clear of 

 it, and have no desire to try it again. I am perfectly willing 

 to admit my possible unfitness for the business, but I am also 

 compelled to admit that I could not succeed and that no 

 advice of mine could help others." 



Although many, either under exceptional circumstances 

 or because of exceptional ability, have made a success of 

 wholesale poultry raising, it seems on reflection that Mr. 

 Wolf's ideas are in the main correct. 



The price of chickens is fixed, like all other prices, by 

 supply and demand, and toward the supply every farmer 

 contributes his chickens and their eggs which cost him 

 practically nothing; at least he counts that they cost him 

 nothing. 



Now it is clear that if you considerably increase the sup- 

 ply at any place, the price will fall, and the farmer, whose 

 chickens and eggs cost him almost nothing in money, will 

 sell them low enough to command a market and will continue 

 to raise them, however little he gets for them. 



So you are against inexhaustible competitors who can 

 neither be driven out nor combined with. It is worse than 

 competing with bankrupt dealers. To make much money 

 you must have at least some monopoly, and even a little 

 bit of the earth that is well suited to your purpose where 

 there is no unreasonable and unreasoning competition, will 

 give you a chance. 



